Open auditions for performers at Goodwood

OPEN auditions are being held to refresh the ranks of actors and actresses at Goodwood Revival and other events.

The Goodwood Actors Guild was established ten years ago in response to a growing demand for performers at the motorsport circuit, in particular at Revival.

Theatrical curator Sue O’Donoghue said: “We are now finding that we need to refresh our ranks, as many of our actors have moved on, many to successful careers in the entertainment industry.

“One of our original Just William boys had his debut at the National Theatre last year. I was like a proud mum!

“This success does mean that we are currently on a recruitment drive the like of which we have not found necessary since our first year.”

The open auditions will be held in the ballroom of Goodwood House on Thursday, January 28, from 3.30pm to 8pm. People can just turn up and be seen without needing to book a time slot.

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Auditions will take the form of an improvised performance from a choice of roles. They should take no longer than 15 to 20 minutes and people will be seen in order of arrival.

Talented actors and performers of all ages are invited and successful applicants will be signed to a casual contract.

Guild members perform at many events throughout the year, including Goodwood Revival, Festival of Speed and Glorious Goodwood.

The guild is becoming increasingly known for film and TV work, providing supporting artistes in the past 18 months for a Jaguar commercial with David Beckham and a major set piece filmed for Downton Abbey.

Originally, volunteers and students from the performing arts department at Chichester College were used at Goodwood.

Sue said: “We came to the realisation that we needed a wider range of characters, types and ages if we were to truly represent the ‘magical step back in time’ for which Revival is now famous.

“We also wanted to put the whole thing on a more professional footing, using trained actors and paying them a salary. This raised the quality of the work and ensured real commitment from the actors.

“The Goodwood Actors Guild now has well over 400 people on its books, the youngest being less than a year old and the oldest well into his 80s. We perform all over the estate, logging 84 performance dates in the calendar in 2015.

“Our work ranges from a couple of models for a photoshoot, to 60-plus supporting artistes for an episode of Downton Abbey, to 200 to 300 actors working the three days of Revival.

“We recreate the Regency period for the Raceweek Ball for the Qatar Festival and we finish the year with Father Christmas, elves and carol singers entertaining staff and their children at Goodwood House. We also have a wardrobe department with about 8,000 costumes and props, many of which are genuine vintage pieces.”

Email sue.odonoghue@goodwood.com for more information about the auditions.

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